Why overthinking can be essential to our personal growth

Assaf Biton - Nov 9, 2018

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You know the feeling when you say the wrong thing or make a mistake in front of other people and you simply can’t get it out of your mind. Or you have to make a decision and contemplate your options over and over until you can’t sleep. We have all experienced the negative effects that overthinking can have on our lives. Overthinking has been clinically proven to lead to depression, and is also a major characteristic of anxiety. Overthinking can make you detect problems where there are none and make your problems seem much worse off than they are in reality. It can be frustrating to be unable to turn your mind off and to relive certain moments over and over again.

Society tells us not to overthink and just go with our gut, but this is only partially true. Instinct has its advantages but so does overthinking. Sure, sometimes you have to turn off your mind and simply let go, but other times, overthinking can actually be beneficial. Let’s find out how below.

Overthinking enriches your perspective

When you overthink, you also tend to consider a situation from a variety of points-of-view. You become a little bit of a perfectionist, not settling for anything but the best. You make sure your efforts equal your ideas and leave no stone unturned to achieve this. Very few faults are left by the time you’re done overthinking your output.

It makes you more empathetic

Aside from making you creative, overthinking also makes you more sensitive to others. Since you weigh things from various perspectives, you tend to be less selfish in your judgement. You know why a person may have a certain opinion even if you do not agree with it. It makes you more socially just. You’re tuned into the inequalities that pervade society and won’t stand for any of it.

It makes you a better problem solver

Approaching a problem from various sides has a lot of benefits. You know very well how to work towards a solution to a conflict, where a person who has a unidimensional view of this problem might falter.

Overthinking makes you more detail oriented

The downside of being an overthinker is letting an incongruity of detail interfere with your peace of mind. The same overthinking increases your ability to focus attention. An overthinker will notice when things are out of place sooner than your regular person.

Prepares you for the worst

If you have a tendency to overthink, you’ve probably already anticipated the worst that could befall you. So when things actually don’t turn out according to your liking, you already have a plan B and C in place to tackle the situation.

Overthinking can be a hindrance but it can also help develop your personality for the better. These are some of the advantages of being an overthinker. So, the next time you catch yourself getting lost inside your head – remind yourself it may not be such a bad thing after all. Good luck!